My Pomonkey Roadtrip

I've been passing this sign on the way to work every day, and so I decided to do some research on the Pomonkey part. Just because.



Here's what I found on the Global Security site: "Pomonkey is a unique field laboratory with associated platforms and located 25 miles south of NRL near LaPlata, MD. The site occupies approximately 58 acres and is owned by NRL. It contains the largest high-speed tracking antenna in the United States and is suitable for low Earth orbit and deep space mission requirements."

I notice it doesn't really say how large it is. It goes on to mention there are "other antenna in the area 1-9 m"- but I think this one is probably a bit bigger. So, I thougt it'd be good to take a look. I never found the town of Pomonkey- I suspect it's just an area. And the maps indicated it was at the junction of 224 and 227, but there was no indication whatsoever at the turn regarding Pomonkey. Just a sign 3 miles before the turn that said "Pomonkey 3 miles".

So I headed down 210 S to find Smallwood Park. Towns were sparse along the way. I passed Bryan's Road (Mcdonalds, gas station, grocery store and a few strips of stores). I may have seen Indian Head (see Bryan's Road). And then the park signs appeared waaaaaaaay ahead of the game- I thought I was close but it was a good 20 minutes from the first signage.

Smallwood park reminded me of a blank canvas waiting for action. There was a lovely art center that was poorly marked down a very long windy dirt road. There was a great recycled tire playground that had no children playing on it.



There was a tobacco barn with a wonderful color to the wood. One could not enter the barn, though.



There was a house to tour with the very friendly Stephanie (shown here in time period clothing) that once belonged to General Smallwood who is buried out back. He was a Maryland govenor. I think she mentioned General Washington hung out with him, but I was distracted by the chamber pot that looked exactly like a hospital bedside commode, except it was made of wood.



There's even a story regarding a chestnut being thrown into a grave and growing a tree over the general's grave. But, to be truthful, in the picture there's a gravestone (not there originally) and apparently the folks CUT DOWN the tree to put up the gravestone. The trees in this picture are cedars that are mostly dead on the other side. Should have left the chestnut tree!



There was just nobody there to see it! I saw a smattering of people using the marina, one very small 3 person family who briefly walked into the house then walked out, and a person was driving up the art center as I left. The women at the art center told me things are usualy pretty quiet. "Some days I might go all day without seeing anyone". It was a great little park! Obviously the locals don't realize the great secret they have on their hands!

Stephanie told me the road to go down to glimpse at the Pomonkey disk, so I gave it another go. I followed 224 N and took a right on Bumpy Hills Road. As I came over the hill, I saw a largish satillite dish in the distance but could not pull over to take a picture. I kept going down the road hoping for another glimpse, but alas there was to be no glimpses of the elusive Pomonkey satillite dish. I did manage to snap a picture of the research facility sign, but there was plenty of signage indicating I should not drive further down the driveway.



I tried to turn myself around and do a loop to see if I could get another glimpse, but it was getting late and I took a wrong turn. Just as I was planning to look at a map to figure my way, boom, there was 301. Home sweet home- my wrong turn spilled me out about 10 minutes from my house.